For one young mother, a quick ice fix turned into a four-year battle with addiction. It was a decision that broke her relationship, mental health, and ultimately saw her children taken from her.

Key points:

One former ice user says drug use "probably the biggest cause of children being removed that I know"

Experts say no easy solution in world of child protection, as many families struggle with intergenerational trauma

Ice use across Australia sharply increased between 2010 and 2013, and since has remained at 2013 levels

Megan (not her real name) was struggling to cope after a traumatic childhood partly spent in state care.

She was abusing prescription drugs and spent time in prison. When she was released, she started using ice.

"I was using pretty much every day, and sadly my kids were the ones who suffered the most," Megan said.

"What led to it was childhood traumas … I was sexually abused at age five, my dad was violent, so I ran away and became a state ward … I was homeless for so many years."

Now, she has been clean for more than two years, is studying for a career in social work, and has set up a support group for other mums involved with child-protection services.

Megan said the drug ice was "devastating families" and she knew many other mothers who had had a similar struggle.

"Some that I went to school with, others who I've met in groups — a large number is because of amphetamines. Probably the biggest cause of children being removed that I know is around the drug use," she said.

Ice having 'a big impact' on child protection

Ice use across Australia sharply increased between 2010 and 2013, and since then has remained at 2013 levels, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

The number of kids in out-of-home care has also dramatically spiked since 2010.

An ABC analysis has found in the seven years since ice use started to increase, the number of children in out-of-home care in Australia has climbed by about 33.5 per cent.

"Lots of times they are coming because their children have been taken away or there's a threat of them being taken away, so they're being pushed by child-protection agencies because of their drug use," she said.

Child-protection system 'changing', but more work needed

Ms Charet, from NSW Families and Community Services, warned there was no silver bullet in the world of child protection — many families were struggling with intergenerational trauma and parents often spent time in care themselves as young people.

While the overall number of children engaging with the child-protection system is growing, the number of children in out-of-home care has slowed.

This year there was a 10 per cent fall in the number of children in out-of-home care around the country.

"From the year 2015-16 to 2016-17 there was, across the state, a 25 per cent reduction in the number of children coming in to out-of-home care," Ms Charet said.

But the number of children who have been the subject of notifications, substantiations, care and protection orders has continued to rise.

For Megan, she believes much more could be done for families, but does think the system is improving.

"I have seen a lot of change from the time I was in care to the time when my children were removed, and then even from when my children were removed to now," she said.

"There is starting to be a shift, but there definitely needs to be more work done.

"There needs to be an increase in early intervention with families … they need to work on keeping families together … [instead of] tearing them apart in a crisis time, because it's so hard to be reunited."